Migration and the situation in Libya dominated a meeting between Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and UN secretary general Antonio Guterres today.
Dr Muscat said Libya was an absolute priority to Malta because it was a neighbour state and the effects of the situation could be felt by Malta. He said there was no faction which was totally right so there should be empathy towards the different positions. Malta, he said, remained willing to help as one of the European countries that could most understand Libyans.
Mr Guterres said the UN was committed to addressing the conflicts in Libya. Both agreed that the situation could only be solved through coordinated initiatives with the involvement of Libyans.
The Prime Minister also brought up the subject of migration saying an increase in the number of economic migrants was being noted. This made the migration challenge more crucial.
Mr Guterres agreed and said this was why the UN was pushing forward a migration pact that would include all components of this delicate challenge.